Giant-stride.



0. H. MASON.

GIANT STRIDE.

APPLIOATION IILED MAR. a1, 1913.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

II/IIIIIIIII.I A 4 Inflenfor r Orson .hC/fiwsan COLUMBIA PLANOGIMPN C0. WASHINGTON. n. c.

ORSON H. MASON, OI! LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GIANT-STRIDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 31,

Patented Sept. 23, 11113.

1913. Serial No. 758,061.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORSON H. Mason, a citizen of the United States, residing at-Los Angoles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Giant-Stride, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class 01 do vices known as giant strides or may poles adapted to be erected in childrens playgrounds and elsewhere, and has for its ob jects to provide a superior device of this class that will secure maximum life of oporation greater strength and durability and one that is cheap and simple in construction. In attaining these objects I provide an antifrictional support, the diameter of which is of such extent as to provide sullicient leverage to thereby gain stability and rigidity against all side strains in any direction.

Another object of this invent-ion is to provide a device of this character in which the top may be readily and easily detached from the pole and stored during the winter months without liability of disarranging the parts thereof.

Other objects are to construct a device which is fool-proof and one that cannot be put out of order if tampered with by children during its use on the playground; also to provide a free running, dirt, dust and weather-proof stride requiring no lubrication.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a t'ragmental elevation illust'at-ing the application of a device embodying this invention as in use. Two swing ropes are shown in place. Fig. 2 is an enlargedplan view omitting the ropes. Parts are broken away to expose interior construction. Fig. 3 is a tragl'nental mid-sectional detail on line indicated at a1a1*, Fig. 2, showing the head at rest and two ropes attached to and hanging down from the head. Fig. 41 is a mid-sectional detail on line w w Fig. 2 of the head detached. Fig. 5 is a detail in mid-section of the retaining ring detached. Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the bearing block detached.

The stride comprises a supporting pole 1, of any desirable construction, having a base a that may be mounted upon the ground in any suitable manner to rigidly support the pole, a supporting block 2, provided with a socket or bore 3 accommodates the top end of said pole that is secured in place therein by means of a bolt 4t passing through the pole and holes 5 in the bearing block.

A head (5 having a top portion 7 is provided with a downwardly and outwardly flaring rim 8 having a plurality of apertures 1) into which are adapted to be booked in the usual manner the detachable hooks 10 upon which are .hung thimbles 11 carrying the ordinary swing ropes 12 provided with grasp knots 12. ()n the inside of the head (3 in the top portion 7 is formed an annular quadrantal groove 13 that is quad 'antally circular in crosssection, and adjacent said groove is an annular chamber 14 into which the bearing block 2 is adapted to be inserted. A. locking ring 15, having a central aperture 16 through which the bearing block is adapted to extend, is provided with an annular groove 17 that is complementary to the groove 13, the latter groove being located adjacent to and communicating with said aperture 16.

The bearing block is adapted to antiiti'ictionally support the head (3 by antifriction balls 18 which run in an annular race-way 19 formed by an annular semi-circular groove 20 in the enlarged portion 21 of the bearing block and the complementary grooves 13 and 17 in the head and retaining ring, respectively. The annular groove 20 is semi-circular in cross-section and forms onehalf oil. said race-way while the complementary grooves 13 and 17 are adapted to form the other half, and in order to secure and maintain true register of said quadrantal grooves 18 and 17, one with another, an annular shoulder 9. is provided on the face 2?, of the retaining ring, said shoulder being adapted to seat in an annular recess E241; provided in the face 25 ot the head when the retaining ring is in place with its face 23 against the face 25 of the head. Bolts 26 passing through enlarged apertures 27 and 28 in the head and ring respectively secure said ring to the head by means of nuts 26 locked on said bolts by suitable means as by chaintering the thread.

The enlarged portion 21 oil the bearing block is of sligl'itly smaller diameter than the chamber 14 so that when said ljiearing block is in place in the head with the balls in the race-way the only frictional surface will be between said race-way and balls.

To assemble thedevice the head 6 is turned upside down, the bearing block 2 inserted into the annular chamber 1 1 and the balls 18 inserted one by one into the annular way therefor, formed by the semi-circular groove 20 and the quadrantal groove 13, until such way is appropriately filled with balls after which the retaining ring 15 is secured in placeby the bolts 26 and nuts 26 with the shoulder 22 seating in the recess 2 1 and the quadrantal groove 17 bearing against the balls, thus completing the race-way 19 and securely locking the balls therein.

The number of balls employed is preterably less than is sufiicient to fill the race way; for instance, if the race-way is capable of containing 27 balls,-.26 balls may be insorted, thus leaving plenty of play and insuring a satisfactory distribution of the balls around the race-way. The balls substantially correspond in diameter with the raceway so that there will be a true antifriction supportagainst all strains inevery direction without any looseness or liability of rattling.

It is thus seen that in order to maintain a true antifrictional support and at the same time gain greater stability and rigidity than has been heretofore possible against all side strains as the stride is revolved by the ropes 1'0, 1 have provided supporting means comprising antiiriction balls 18 running in an annular race-way 19 which is of a compara tively large diameter, thus securing an eX- I tensive leverage through which the balls 18 and grooves 20, 13 and 17 of the race-way act to'support the stride, and the eitect of any play caused by Wear of said balls and grooves is consequently minimized; while. should the race-way be made of small diameter the support is rendered much less rigid due to the decreased leverage through which the said balls and grooves act and: any wearing of said parts is consequently made very detrimental to the durability and 1 long life of the device.

I claim:

1. In a giantstride, the combination of a supporting block and a head, one being externally and the other internally grooved to form an annular raceway, ,antii'riction;

balls in said race-way to revolubly support the head, and means to lock the head uponf the supporting block.

2. In a giant stride, the combination with a pole of a supporting block provided with an annular semi-circular external groove, a

head provided with an annular quadrantal internal groove, antifriction balls between said grooves and means to lock the head in place on the balls.

3. In a giant stride, the combination of a supporting block having an annular semicircular groove, 'a head and a locking ring provided with annular quadrantal grooves,

said latter grooves being adapted to register with said annular semi-circular groove to form an annular race-way; and antifriction balls insaid raceway to revolubly support the head. V

4. In a giant stride, the combination of a supporting block having an annular semicircular external groove, a head and a looking ring provided with annular quadrantal internal grooves, said latter grooves being adapted to register with said semi-circular groove to form an annular race-way and antifrict ion balls in said race-wav to revolubly support the head. I

5. in a giant stride, the combination of a supporting block having'an annular semicircular groove, a head and locking ring provided with annular ouadrantal grooves, said latter grooves being adaptedto register with said semi-circular groove to form an annular race-way, antifriction balls in said race-way, and means to maintain the quadrantal grooves of said head and locking ring in register one with another.

6. In a giant stride,the combination of a supporting block having an annular semicircular groove, a head and locking ring provided with annular quadrantal grooves,

said latter grooves being adapted to register with said semi-circular groove to form an annular race-way, antitriction balls" in.

7 In a giant stride, the combination of a supporting block having an annular semicircular groove, a head and locking ring provided with annular quadrantal grooves,

said latter grooves being adapted to register with said semi-circular groove to form an annular raceway, antifriction balls in I,

in said race-way; an annular chamber in head itClJtCGllt the quadrantal groove there 1 of to accommodate'the supporting block and means to maintain said quadrantal I, grooves in register one with another.

8. In a giant stride, the combination of a supportingblock having an annular semicircular groove, a head and locking ring each provided with an annular quadrantal head adjacent the other edge of'the quad-' rantal groove'thereot to seat the annular shoulder of the locking ring to maintain said quadrantal grooves register one with another. i

: groove adapted to ointly register with said 9. In a giant stride, the combination of a pole, a supporting block provided with a socket and having an annular semi-circular external groove, a head and locking ring provided with annular quadrantal internal grooves, said latter grooves being adapted to register with the semi-circular external groove to therewith form an annular raceway, antifriction balls in said race-way; the locking ring being provided with an annular shoulder; an annular recess in said head adapted to seat said annular shoulder; bolts to secure the locking ring in place, a. plurality of swing ropes having hooks adapted to be hooked to said head, and a bolt to detaehably secure the pole in the socket of the supporting block.

10. In a giant stride, the combination of a supporting block having an annular semicircular groove, a head provided with a downwardly and outwardly flaring rim, and with a chamber and an annular quadrantal groove adjacent thereto, a locking ring having a central aperture and an annular quadrantal groove adjacent thereto, said supporting block being adapted to extend through said central aperture and into said chamber with said annular semicircular groove registering with the quadrantal grooves to form an annular race-way, means to secure said locking ring in place, antii'riction balls in said race-way, and a plurality of swing ropes having hooks adapted to be hooked into a plurality of apertures in the downwardly and outwardly flaring rim of said head.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles California this 24th day of March 1913.

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, WILLIAM N. KIRKBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

